NALU WEEK RANDOM ONE SHOTS
by ShanaHollows
Summary: These are random one-shots with no particular prompt. Enjoy! Rated M to be safe.
1. Elevator Woes

_**A/N: The stories in this short story collection are a part of the challenge to write 21 one-shots for Nalu week! Please enjoy.**_

 _ **This is an Angel-of-Oops 2 one-shot based on an Anniversary Natsu reminded Lucy about: the family's first trip to a large hotel in Crocus for Aki's dance recital. The memory consisted of Natsu reminiscing about the elevator from hell that Connor made him ride over and over again 5 years previous to the story of Oops2. Lark is 11, Connor is 4, and Brielle is 2.**_

* * *

"What is it?" Hansuke asked, glancing at the metal box in front of his family.

"It's an elevator," Lucy told them flatly.

It had been a long trip. Everyone was tired and hoping for a good sleep. Tomorrow would be Aki's first day of dance competition. Tonight, everyone was just hoping for some rest. Traveling with 8 kids was...an adventure.

"Get inside please," Lucy beckoned, correcting her tone of voice.

It wasn't the kids' fault the trip was long. Nor that they didn't know what an elevator was. Natsu had determined that that Dragneel family would avoid elevators at all costs. It was miracle they'd managed to do so for this long. She took a deep breath, re-focusing herself on being a calm parent with infinite patience.

Natsu shook his head, gulping bravely. He hated elevators. They always made him feel sick to his stomach. After he and Lucy had moved from the apartment to their house 8 years ago, he swore he'd never take an elevator again.

"It's not even big enough for all of us," Aki muttered, "How completely pointless. We should just take the stairs."

Natsu nodded his emphatic agreement.

"Fifteen flights of stairs…doable!" he announced, heading for the stairwell. Lucy grabbed his collar, yanking him backward.

"We can go in halves," Lucy suggested, waving the card that would serve as the key to their hotel room, "I'll take Brielle, the twins, and Aki, you take Lark, Hansuke, Mieske and Connor."

He groaned, "But the stairs!"

She held 2-year-old Brielle firmly in her arms, gesturing the twins and Aki on board the elevator.

Smiling at her husband, Lucy leaned forward and kissed his lips sweetly, "You'll be fine, Natsu…remember to breathe."

Natsu nodded dumbly, ignoring the eye-roll Lark was performing next to him. Lucy had such a way of calming him down.

The elevator doors closed. Connor watched with fascination as the lights on the door lit up and the numbers on the indicator began to climb.

"It's not that interesting," Lark sighed.

"What do the lights do?" Connor asked, wide-eyed, ignoring his older brother's comment.

Natsu knelt down beside him, "See the one that's moving? That's Mommy going up to our room. See how it stopped? Mommy is on the 15th floor now."

Connor wasn't paying attention anymore, trying to strain his little fingers to reach the buttons.

"No touching," Hansuke warned, "We want the elevator to come back down for us."

Connor withdrew his hand, glancing up at Natsu. The door chimed, revealing the empty elevator.

"MOMMY!" Connor screamed in alarm, "Where's Mommy?"

"She's on a different floor – it's okay," Mieske assured him. He turned to Natsu, "What about our suitcases?"

"I guess we'll have to come back for them," Natsu groaned, "Okay…let's get this over with."

His stomach lurched before the elevator did, anticipating the disgusting roll of stomach fluid that would come with the motion of it. Moments later, he felt the tell-tale lurch he'd been expecting, instantly turning a shade of green.

"Daddy?" Hansuke asked, "Are you okay?"

"Elevators make Daddy feel sick," Natsu explained, holding his stomach.

Connor was watching the lights again, his eyes glued to the console as they climbed.

"It's taking us somewhere?" he asked, awed.

"It's taking us to the 15th floor," Lark told him, "That's where you'll find Mommy."

Natsu could feel the stomach acid churning. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply as Lucy had suggested. Finally, the door chimed and opened. He stumbled to the ground, taking heaving breaths as he spilled out onto the floor like a big pile of goo.

"1504," Lark said, pointing down the hall, "We'll be that way."

Lark and Hansuke started down the hall, leaving their father in a pile on the floor. The door chimed again and the doors closed.

"Dad!" Lark snapped impatiently, "Here's our room. Are you coming?"

Natsu groaned, willing his body to move. He was beyond dizzy, but he managed to drag himself to his feet and lumber after the boys. Lark had the door open.

"I can't do that again, Luce," Natsu moaned, "I'll just take the stairs from now on. Why didn't we ask for a lower floor anyway?"

"Because the 15th floor is the penthouse," Lucy reminded him, "And the penthouse is the only room large enough to accommodate our family's size."

She kissed his nose gently, smoothing his bangs back from his eyes, then wiping the sweat accumulated on his brow.

"You're okay now," she promised him.

"Where's Connor?" Aimi asked, glancing around the room.

Lucy's eyes widened, "Oh Mavis! He didn't come in?"

"He must be on the elevator still!" Aki exclaimed, "I'll go find him."

"No way!" Natsu shook his head, "This is a strange city and all of you are to stick together where we can keep tabs on you!"

He gulped even as he said it out loud, cringing at the thought of riding the elevator a second time.

"I'll go," Lucy suggested.

As if on cue, Brielle started to cry.

"She's hungry," Lucy said helplessly, begging her husband with her eyes to understand.

Natsu's face fell, knowing it would be up to him. Even their oldest, Lark, at 11 was a bit too young to ride the elevator in such a large hotel, looking for the 4-year-old Connor.

"I'll be back," Natsu droned.

Closing his eyes to regain his composure, Natsu wandered back out into the hall.

"I'll call the front desk and ask them to hold Connor there," Lucy called out after him.

Natsu nodded, not even looking back at her as he steeled himself for the next ride.

"It's all good. It's all good," he chanted to himself as he called the elevator back to the 15th floor.

"You're looking a little green," a dark-haired man commented as Natsu boarded.

"I'm not good with elevators," Natsu admitted, "But my son didn't get off the elevator so I have to go get him."

"Little guy?" the man asked, "Blondish pink hair?"

"Yeah," Natsu was holding his stomach again, resisting the urge to spew as they descended the floors.

The man patted his shoulder sympathetically, "I think he _did_ get off on the 15th floor, buddy…I passed him in the hallway on my way to the elevator."

Natsu audibly swallowed.

"Dude…you don't look so good."

The door chimed and the man hurriedly got off – and away from Natsu.

Natsu glanced at the front desk, looking for any sign of Connor.

"He's not here," the front desk clerk confirmed.

Sighing, Natsu reboarded the elevator, pressing the button for the 15th floor again.

His stomach was so topsy-turvy by the time he arrived at his destination, Natsu was crumpled on the floor in the corner of the elevator. The door dinged. Natsu literally crawled out into the hallway, resting his head on his arms for several moments before lugging himself to his feet and heading down the hall in the opposite direction of the Dragneel room.

"Connor!" he called, regretting the call-out immediately. His stomach jumped, the stomach acid burning his throat.

Connor was staring at the view out the window at the end of the hall, kneeling on a chair that was kept there. The boy was fascinated at the busy streets of Crocus. Natsu glanced out the window for a moment, appreciating the view himself, before grabbing Connor by the hand.

"C'mon, kiddo," he said softly, "Mommy is worried. You can't take off like that, okay?"

Connor glanced up at his father, pointing out the window, "Small people!"

"Yeah," Natsu agreed, desperately trying to take deep breaths to make the room stop spinning, "Let's go see Mommy, okay?"

Finally, the boy climbed off the chair, taking Natsu's outstretched hand. Natsu smiled to himself. Connor really was adorable. His sweet little cheeks were so plump and his eyes were so alert with curiosity and fire. Even as sick as he felt, Natsu still felt pride as he joined hands with his little son. It truly amazed him that he and his wife had 8 perfect children. He was one lucky man.

The further they walked down the hall, the better Natsu started to feel. He began to swing his hand so that Connor's would swing too, sometimes swinging his entire body into the air for brief moments. He knew how much Connor enjoyed this game based on the squeals of laughter.

Natsu knocked on the room door, waiting until Mieske opened the door so they could come in. Natsu flopped on the bed dramatically, Lucy giggling as she finished feeding Brielle.

"Hello Connor!" she quipped, "Where were you?"

"I watched little people!" Connor replied with lit eyes.

"He was at a window on the other end of the hall," Natsu explained.

Lucy regarded her son sternly, "You cannot go away from Mommy or Daddy. This is a busy city and you can get lost very easily. Never, _ever_ leave our sides! You _stay close to Daddy!_ "

Connor nodded meekly as Lucy went back to tending to Brielle.

"What about the luggage?" Haru asked.

Natsu face-palmed. He should have grabbed it when he was at the main floor.

"I can go get it," Lark offered.

"We already told you," Natsu told him, "You're too young to be wandering the hotel on your own!"

Lark shrugged, grabbing his earphones so he could tune out the world.

"Do you want to feed Brielle and I'll go?" Lucy offered.

Natsu glanced at his little daughter, screaming for her food. Hansuke and Mieske were having a pillow fight...while Aki and Aimi were having a real fight, arguing about whether Aimi had brought the right hair brush. Haru had the TV on full-blast. Lark sat on the bed with his earphones on, singing loudly...and very out of tune.

Between the elevator and the loud noise, Natsu's head was pounding.

"I'll get the luggage," Natsu promised.

"Natsu…" Lucy said, "Maybe Lark should go with you at least."

He shook his head, already feeling the dizziness returning, "I'll get the luggage…and then I'll use the stairs for the rest of our trip."

"Aki's dance competition is 3 days long," Mieske reminded him, "That's a lot of stairs."

Natsu sighed again, knowing very well how truthful those words were. He lumbered back to the elevator, taking deep breaths with his eyes closed to calm himself.

"Just two more times," he reminded himself.

"Can I press the button?" a little voice piped up.

"Connor!" Natsu exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"Mommy said I had to stay with either her or you," Connor said innocently, coming into the elevator with Natsu.

"Okay," Natsu sighed for the third time in less than 5 minutes, "But you stay right with me and you don't wander away."

The little boy nodded, glancing again at the buttons.

"The top one makes the elevator go up and the bottom one makes the elevator go down," Natsu explained, "We want to go down. Go ahead. Press the button."

Connor's face lit up, pressing the button Natsu pointed to, then the 'Main' button Natsu pointed to next.

The dizziness set in, making Natsu fall to his knees instantly. He closed his eyes, willing his stomach acid to stay in his stomach where it belonged. He creaked an eye open at his little son, now pushing all the buttons on the console at once. He couldn't get up. The pain of his stomach ache and disorientation of the motion immobilized him.

"Connor!" he begged, "Please…don't…press…buttons!"

The elevator jerked to a stop. Connor's eyes widened with excitement as he realized he had found the stop button, then pressed another floor key.

"Please Connor!" Natsu pleaded.

The elevator lurched again, resuming its descent. The little boy laughed as it screeched to a halt again, resuming in the other direction.

"Oh, for the love of Mavis...make it stop!" Natsu begged.

* * *

The bellhop was unsure if the Dragneel family was aware their luggage still sat in the lobby. He was off shift now. Everyone at the hotel had been enamoured by the family of ten that had arrived that day. There was a couple of kids his brother's age, so he told the desk manager he would take the Dragneel luggage up to their room, free of charge.

He wheeled the luggage cart to the elevator and called it, glancing up at the lit board. His eyes widened as he realized it was completely erratic, hopping between the 4th and then the 10th and then the 2nd floors.

"Dorianne!" he called to the front desk, "We have a pusher!"

Dorianne pressed a button, cancelling the elevator's pre-programmed schedule. Once she nodded to him, he turned back to the elevator and called it down to the main lobby.

The door opened and a cute strawberry-blonde boy grinned up at him.

"I made it go!" he exclaimed.

At the back of the elevator, the boy's father was literally 3 shades of green. He was on the floor, heaving to keep himself from throwing up.

Natsu groaned. His stomach still churned as the bellhop helped him up and escorted him to the lobby couch. He held Connor's hand so that the boy wouldn't have a chance to run.

"Mr. Dragneel," he said softly, patting his hand to try to gain his attention, "I suppose we should have asked you…would you like 3 queen-bedroom suite on the main level so you don't have to ride the elevator so much?"

Natsu's face went white as his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

"Yes please," Natsu murmured.

Then he fainted dead away.

* * *

When he woke, he was curled up in Lucy's arms on a large bed...but it wasn't their room.

"Where am I?" he asked, holding his pounding head.

"In our new hotel room," Lucy told him, gently pushing him back down to a prone position. It wouldn't be good to sit up too fast, "On the _ground level."_

"It's too quiet! Where are the kids?" he exclaimed.

"Shhhh..." Lucy soothed him, running her fingers through his hair, "The front desk volunteered an employee to take them to the pool so that you can rest. They'll be back in a half hour."

His aching eyes shot open, "We have a half hour?"

She grinned wickedly, "Yeah...we have a half hour."

Natsu felt his headache disappear instantly as he reached for his wife. She giggled as he flipped her down to the mattress and pressed his lips to hers. Suddenly, the prospect of spending 3 days in this hotel wasn't so bad anymore...provided the venue for Aki's dance recital did not require riding on an elevator.


	2. BONUS PROMPT: Gothic

_**NALU WEEK BONUS PROMPT – GOTHIC**_

 _ **ANGEL OF OOPS, SET BEFORE THEY HAVE CHILDREN. I KNOW THIS OUGHT TO BE POSTED WITH NALU WEEK 2017, BUT I'M PUTTING IT UNDER THE OWN PROMPTS...JUST CUZ. :D**_

* * *

She entered the bar, blowing out the last bit of her cigarette before crushing it on an empty plate on an abandoned table. The bar patrons halted, curiously eyeing her as she scanned the bar.

Her hair was jet black, cascading over her shoulders. She wore dark, black eye make-up, accenting her chocolate brown eyes amidst her pale skin and dark lipstick. A black choker hung around her neck like a dog collar. It matched her skeletal earrings.

Perhaps more shocking was her black dress. It was lacy, see-through material with very distinct cobweb patterns cut throughout the fabric. The black jacket matched perfectly with the low-cut bodice. It came in at the waist, accenting her curves. The dress itself came to mid-thigh, exposing her bare leg between the hem and the thigh high boots she wore.

"What're you looking at!?" she barked.

The bar crowd jumped, turning back to their activities. With the exception of one man…a pink-haired man. He wore a business suit – tan no less – with a white shirt and plain black tie. His pants were about 3 inches too short. As he stared at her, she smirked. He wore dark-rimmed glasses, making it impossible to really see his eyes.

She strolled up to him confidently, looking him up and down.

"Buy me a drink," she demanded.

"Umm…okay," the stranger replied, "W-what do you want to drink?"

She nodded at his drink on the counter, "What are you drinking?"

She could see his fingers tremble. Was he afraid of her? Or was he just really nervous.

"B-brown cow," he stuttered.

She snorted, an undignified, unladylike sound, "That's a pansy drink. I'll have a double rum and Coke."

His voice quivered as he ordered the drink for her. The corners of her mouth turned up. He was perfect.

The drink was placed in front of her as she sat down beside him. Her eyes trailed down his body, landing at the briefcase at his feet.

"You always carry your cat with you to bars?" she asked.

He looked down to the briefcase, reaching to pat the tiny blue-haired kitten inside, "I-I got kicked out. My wife…she doesn't want either of us home tonight."

"Sad," she commented, "And kind of pathetic. You aren't going to forget her drinking Brown Cows."

His eyes widened as she called the bartender over, asking for a second double-rum and Coke. The bartender passed it to her. She met his gaze, then slid it down to the counter to him.

"Go on," she encouraged him, swigging hers back in one swallow.

"I-I don't drink often," he said nervously, keeping his eyes on his fingers.

"Your wife isn't expecting you home," the girl reminded him, "You've got nothing to lose. Get wrecked. Show her you don't give a shit."

He thumbed the drink indecisively, glancing at her briefly.

"Pathetic," she repeated.

She sighed, swigging back the last of her drink. Sauntering herself over so that she was flush with his body, she kissed him, releasing the fluid into his mouth.

He was wide-eyed…completely frozen with his mouth agape. She waved a hand in front of his face, laughing when he finally swallowed.

She grinned at him, "You liked that, did you?"

He nodded slowly.

She pointed to his untouched drink, "I can think of more ways to make you drink that."

Fifteen minutes later, the hotel door flung open, shirts furiously being thrown to the air as passionate kisses drove them instinctively toward the bed.

"Not nervous anymore, are you?" she cried out as he sucked her neck, reaching behind her to rid her of her bra.

"I'm sorry!" he apologized, pulling back slightly. He stared at her for a moment, "What am I doing? I love my wife…this is wrong."

She ran her hands down his half-open shirt, admiring the abs behind it. Grabbing his neck tie, she pushed him down to the bed, then straddled him.

"Do you love your wife?" she asked.

He nodded, visibly shaking, "More than anything."

"Why'd she kick you out?" she queried as she slid both hands down his legs so that she could take off his shoes.

"Lost my job today," the man whispered, "And last week, our car got stolen. Week before that, we had a fire in the kitchen. She thinks she's better off without me."

She shimmied back up his body, clenching his crotch with her hand, "I would never encourage anyone to cheat…but since she kicked you out…it's not cheating."

The man stared at her, eyes (and other parts) bulging as she stood above him and slowly moved the black dress the rest of her way down her body. Her boots remained, currently on either side of him. Otherwise naked now, she lowered herself onto his still-clothed pants, grinding lightly as she lowered her head to kiss him.

He halted her with two fingers across her black lipstick.

"Yes it is," he said hesitantly, pushing her back lightly.

He sat up, confused as he cradled his head with hands.

"I can't do it, Luce!" he sighed, "I know it's role-play. I just…can't…do it."

"Oh, thank Mavis!" Lucy exclaimed, removing the black wig, "I'm too far out of my comfort zone too."

He ran his fingers through her hair, "You really make a beautiful goth."

She smiled, kissing his fingertips, "And you were a gorgeous geek."

"Hey!" Natsu laughed, playfully swatting her shoulder.

She glanced down at his crotch area, "Still…I managed to turn you on."

He met her eyes, a slow smile crossing his face, "I like it better now that I can see your blonde hair. You look more like you. The only reason I'm turned on is because I knew it was you."

She leaned forward, kissing him hard on the mouth, "Do you still want to?"

"Mavis, yes," he replied, kneading her exposed breasts with both hands, "but could you…go to the bathroom and wash all that off first please?"

She giggled, "Okay."

She sauntered off into the bathroom, making sure to show him all her assets.

"Oh – and Lucy?" he called after her.

"Those boots can stay."


	3. Lucy's Moment

**RANDOM PROMPTS – CUZ I NEED TO WRITE 21 TO MEET QUITE-A-RIOT'S CHALLENGE!** (seriously – go read her stuff...she will be _famous_ one day)

 **DAY 1:** ELEVATOR WOES Angel of Oops 2 – Aki has a dance rehearsal in Crocus, so the whole family stays in a hotel…with the elevator from Hell!

 **DAY 2:** GOTHIC Au – a dark stranger enters a bar…and sets her sights on him

 **DAY 3:** MOMENT At a BBQ with all the families, Lucy has a moment…

 **DAY 4:** VIDEO GAMES Au – A new experience in gaming makes Natsu think…

 **DAY 5:** WILD Lucy is attacked by a band of wild soldiers…and Natsu will stop at nothing to save her…let the battle begin.

 **DAY 6:** TBA To be announced

 **DAY 7:** BUCK-A-SUCK Set between Angel of Oops and Angel of Oops 2: It's Natsu's last week as a Bachelor – so the boys from the Cop Shop plan a night he'll never forget! Until he wakes up, that is…

 ** _A/N: Well, here we are on Day 3. This story is entitled 'Lucy's Moment'. It's an Angel of Oops 2 side-story that I hope you'll find as cute as I think it is. :D Please remember to check out the other prompt stories – Nalu Week 2016 and Nalu week 2017 – so many more one-shots to come!_**

* * *

The Dragneel house was lively with boisterous people. The music blared as Natsu started bringing food out to the tables outside. The younger boys squealed with laughter as they played in the wading pool. Gajeel sat in a chair with Brielle and Megumi, reading them a story. The older kids were absorbed in a wicked game of croquet.

Three other picnic tables were lined up side-by-side to accommodate the vast amount of people. Levy was cutting the ham on the picnic table. Laki and Yukino were killing themselves laughing as the water jug Sting was placing on the table spilled over, flooding the tables Rogue was still trying to set. Yukino pulled the hamburgers off the grill, placing them on a plate while Laki placed the buns next to the condiments on the table.

"We're almost ready," Natsu told Lucy, kissing her cheek gently.

She picked up a bowl of potato salad, "Okay. Let's call supper."

She followed Natsu to the door, glancing out at the lively scene. A small smile spread over her face as she paused.

"Are you okay, Luce?" Natsu asked, noting the blank look on her face.

"I'm just thinking, that's all," she murmured.

"What about?" he took the salad from her, placing it on the table.

"Levy was all I had for so many years," Lucy said softly. Levy's ears perked up, turning her head toward the conversation, "We spent a good portion of our childhoods either being afraid or running."

Grateful tears edged her eyes as one by one, the adults of the group turned their eyes to her. Natsu enveloped her in gentle hug.

Levy put down her knife. The ham was sliced enough anyway. She made her way toward Natsu and Lucy, listening to Lucy's lamentation.

"There were times I didn't think we'd ever stop running," Lucy said softly, "We lived in terror every day. And there was a wake of violence that followed us everywhere we went. _Because of me._ Never did I think we'd be free of that... never did I think we would ever have all of this."

She spread her arms wide, gesturing to the entire bunch.

"We have an awesome life, Natsu," Lucy continued, "It's a testament to how far we've come…how much we've grown. Marriage…children…and the best friends that anyone could ask for."

Everyone was silent for a moment, save for the constant screaming of the little kids in the wading pool and the teenagers arguing over whether the ball had passed the wicket or not.

"When I think about what could have been..." Lucy continued, tears started to flow down her cheeks, "If Dan hadn't been caught...and I never met you..."

Natsu held her tighter, "But you did, Luce. And you're right - we have a really wonderful life. We don't have to think about that anymore. It's over, Luce. _This_ is our life now."

The adults stared at Natsu and Lucy. Everyone but Yukino and Laki flashed back to the real circumstances that brought Natsu and Lucy together. They'd been through a lot more than they realized. But had those events not happened, Yukino may never have made her move on Sting...Laki and Rogue would not be together because they would never have met...Gajeel and Levy would never have admitted to each their Angelic origins...if they met at all.

Laki's lower lip began to tremble, Rogue immediately abandoning his post to go to her. Levy's eyes met Gajeel's in a sentimental stare. Sting reached for Yukino's hand.

"I owe you everything, Natsu," Lucy whispered, barely loud enough for the other couple to catch. More tears fell down her face, "And all of you...what would we have done without you?"

There was a long pause, everyone reminiscing about the events that Lucy and Levy had had to endure all those years ago.

"Group hug!" Levy declared, unable to stand the tension anymore. She threw her arms around Natsu and Lucy. Yukino giggled, throwing herself into the fray. Rogue urged Laki forward. She burst into tears, throwing herself into the hug. The men watched hesitantly as Rogue joined them, then slowly stopped what they were doing to join in too. Gajeel even excused himself from the girls to join them.

"This does not get repeated at the station," Sting whispered to Gajeel, Rogue and Natsu, who promptly nodded their heads.

"What are they doing?" Aki asked, watching the awkwardly sentimental moment.

The teenagers had ceased their croquet game, watching intently. Brielle and Megumi stared from the chair. The boys in the wading pool stopped what they were doing too.

"Who knows," Lark sighed, "Adults are so weird."


	4. Video Games

**NALU WEEK BONUS PROMPT – VIDEO GAMES will be posted at the bottom of the page - I thought you might enjoy reading the complete list of stories for Nalu - Since there's 21 and all!**

* * *

 **NALU WEEK PROMPTS 2016**

 **DAY 1:** Longing Based off Manga Chapter 541. Lucy realizes Natsu's not coming back this time.  
 **DAY 2:** Reunion A thought of how the manga _could_ end  
 **DAY 3:** Admiration AU – Lucy catches a glimpse of something that has her in total awe  
 **DAY 4:** Secrets AU – Lucy's secret has been exposed - literally  
 **DAY 5:** Struggle AU – They're both going to kill Mira…just as soon as they figure out how to escape the closet **DAY 6:** Climax AU – Natsu is only trying to help Lucy…only she doesn't think he's helping at all  
 **DAY 7:** The End Angel of Oops 2 – Natsu and Lucy have something to tell Aki, so Natsu tells her a story

 **NALU WEEK PROMPTS 2017**

 **BONUS PROMPTS (to be posted under random prompts):**

 **DAY 1:** Nostalgia Angel of Oops 2: A new baby arrives into the world, promptly sweet memories  
 **DAY 2:** Tarot It's Carnival Night at Fairy Tail…Lucy stops at the Tarot hut for a very special reading.  
 **DAY 3:** Flaws Lucy's a little annoyed…until Mira gives her a pep talk  
 **DAY 4:** Body Language When Lucy loses her voice, she needs to find another way to get her point across.  
 **DAY 5:** Mask AU - The soldiers had him cornered…until a beautiful woman in a mask showed up  
 **DAY 6:** Tattoo Angel of Oops 2: The Magnolia Police Department is commemorating the orphanage fire.  
 **DAY 7:** Intertwined Angel of Oops 2: Poor Natsu…thank Mavis for Lucy!

 **PROMPTS**

 **RANDOM PROMPTS – CUZ I NEED TO WRITE 21 TO MEET QUITE-A-RIOT'S CHALLENGE!** (seriously – go read her stuff...she will be _famous_ one day)

 **DAY 1:** ELEVATOR WOES Angel of Oops 2 – Aki has a dance rehearsal in Crocus, so the whole family stays in a hotel…with the elevator from Hell!

 **DAY 2:** GOTHIC Au – a dark stranger enters a bar…and sets her sights on _him_

 **DAY 3:** MOMENT At a BBQ with all the families, Lucy has a moment…

 **DAY 4:** VIDEO GAMES Au – A new experience in gaming makes Natsu think…

 **DAY 5:** WILD Lucy is attacked by a band of wild soldiers…and Natsu will stop at nothing to save her…let the battle begin.

 **DAY 6:** INFATUATION Angel of Oops 1 – Natsu checks in on Lucy as she sleeps

 **DAY 7:** BUCK-A-SUCK Set between Angel of Oops and Angel of Oops 2: It's Natsu's last week as a Bachelor – so the boys from the Cop Shop plan a night he'll never forget! Until he wakes up, that is…

* * *

 **NALU WEEK BONUS PROMPT – VIDEO GAMES**

 _Lucy glanced around the ocean floor, noting the variety of marine life swimming by her peacefully. She marveled at the raw beauty. A jellyfish floated by her. She longed to reach out and touch the tentacles, but knew that would be a mistake. Instead, she turned, exploring the giant wooden wreckage she stood on with awed eyes._

 _Beside her, Natsu was checking out a crab, scuttling across the deck toward a treasure chest. It was filled with gold and other trinkets. The crab was more interesting. It seemed to know Natsu was watching. It shook a huge claw at Natsu before angrily disappearing over the edge of the boat._

 _Lucy was now watching a giant sting-ray glide gracefully to the left of her. She reached out to touch it before withdrawing her hand, instead content to watch it glide away. The serenity of the area boggled her mind. She'd always heard the bottom of the sea was wrought with danger. This place wasn't dangerous…it was beautiful._

 _She screeched out a bit as she felt a hand go over her mouth, then laughed as she realized it could only be Natsu. He wore goggles similar to hers as he pointed above at the whale that fast approached them._

 _It was an enormous humpback. Lucy reached out beside her to find Natsu's hand, intertwining her fingers with Natsu's as the massive animal came closer. He slowed, staring at them with a big black eye. He clenched her hand, wrapping the other arm over her shoulders. The whale called out and then continued to move on. Both Natsu and Lucy remained frozen, watching the majestic creature as it moved past them._

"FLAME HEAD!" a voice screamed in his ear as his ear phones were lifted.

Natsu's blood boiled. That voice could only belong to one person.

"C'mon, asshole! Juvia and I get next turn!"

Sighing, Natsu and Lucy both removed their head gear and hand-held controllers, passing them to Gray and Juvia, then went to sit on the couch. The gentleman in charge helped Gray and Juvia fasten their gear, then both started feeling their way around the green-backed room.

"So…" the gentleman came back to set the TV to the side of the room up so that Natsu and Lucy could see what Gray and Juvia could see on the screen, "How was your first experience with virtual reality?"

"I will never play normal video games again!" Natsu vowed.

The man chuckled, "You'd be surprised how often I hear that."

"Hey – you can change their scenery, right?" Natsu asked, noting the same peaceful world he and Lucy had been absorbed into.

The man nodded.

"I'm afraid this will _bore_ my friend," Natsu stated, "Got anything a little more…dangerous?"

The man grinned, reaching for a different disc, "I've got just the thing."

He ejected the current peaceful scenery and placed a new disc into the computer. Instantly, the picture on the TV screen changed as Gray and Juvia were thrown deeper into the ocean. Gray actually screamed as he came face-to-face with a lantern fish.

"You're a bad friend. He's going to get you for that, you know," Lucy warned as Gray shot off an ice beam at the pseudo-fish.

Natsu shrugged, "It couldn't be helped. I'm sure he'll just be mad he didn't think of it first."

The man chuckled, then turned, going back to the computer to ensure that Gray and Juvia were seeing different sights than Natsu and Lucy. Gray and Juvia kept bumping into each other, reaching into the air for things that didn't exist. Juvia shot off a water lock, presumably to trap the next creature that charged them. It was actually quite entertaining to watch.

Natsu noticed Lucy staring at him. He offered her a smile.

"That whale," Lucy said under her breath, "He was so beautiful! I swear that was my favourite part!"

Natsu smiled to himself, noting that their fingers were still intertwined. He didn't respond to her as he squeezed her fingers a little tighter. He loved his first virtual reality experience, yes…but the whale wasn't his favourite part.

 _His_ favourite part hadn't faded away when the video game ended.

And he hoped she never would.


	5. The WILD

_**NALU WEEK BONUS PROMPT - WILD**_

Lucy screamed as the hand covered her mouth, keeping her quiet until the duct tape could be put in place.

"Resistance is futile!" a little voice told her in her ear, "Now be a good girl and put your hands behind your back so we can tie you up!"

Lucy was past her initial shock, obediently putting her hands behind her back.

"What should we do with her?" another little voice asked, "We all know that he'll come for her…we need a safe place!"

"I say we hole up in the living room!" an older voice announced. He moved in front of her. One of Natsu's belts was wrapped around his forehead to look like a bandana, his blonde hair spilling overtop. He'd been into Aki's room, obviously, because he had two inch-long black marks on both cheeks.

Lucy stifled a giggle as she realized her other 'captors' also had the same marks on their cheeks.

"We have no intention of hurting you," another older voice told her, female this time. Her pink hair was pulled back into a sloppy ponytail, "but you're going to tell us about the Salamander."

"Don't be afraid, Mommy," the littlest guerilla whispered in her ear, "It's really us – your children…we're just playing."

If she could have kissed Brielle in that moment, she would have. Sometimes her innocence made Lucy beam with pride without even trying.

"He's going to come through the jungle!" Lark announced to the younger children, gesturing toward the kitchen, "We have to be ready for him!"

The children cocked and loaded their Nerf guns, ready for action.

"Now," Aki said, circling their mother. She gently removed the tape from her mother's mouth, "What do you know about the Salamander?"

"Nothing!" Lucy cried out dramatically, "Nothing, I swear!"

"Lies!" Connor declared, "Tell us the truth or suffer the consequences!"

Lucy almost burst out laughing as she spied him for the first time. His pink-blonde hair was held back from his face…by a pair of her panty hose. Lucy guessed none of Natsu's belts were small enough for him.

"Okay! Okay! I'll talk!" Lucy exclaimed, "He's…he's just a guy I met! We're friends! That's all, I swear!"

"C'mon, Blondie," Haru had an eye patch on his eye, "We all know that ain't the whole truth."

"But it is!" Lucy shouted, "He's just a guy I met once – maybe twice!"

"And every night after that," Aimi said in a low voice.

"Okay! You've got me!" Lucy cried out, "I _love_ him! He's my best friend – and my lover!"

"Ewwwwww!" all the children grimaced.

As if on cue, the door in the 'jungle' opened and Natsu stepped through the door, still in his Police uniform.

"Salamander!" Lark bellowed, the children all lining their Nerf guns over the couch at the 'criminal', "Stop where you are! Put your hands over your head! We have your woman!"

Natsu's eyes widened in surprise as he caught a glimpse of Lucy, tied to a chair in the middle of the living room.

"Oh no! I've been found!" he yelled.

Natsu barrel-rolled into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him and locking it. Quickly, he shed his Police uniform. He didn't want to play when he was armed with real-life weapons. Throwing on a t-shirt and some shorts, he grabbed one of the last remaining belts from the closet, wrapping it around his forehead. He thumbed through Lucy's make up, cursing her for wearing so much red on her face. He settled with it since there was no other option, painting the war paint on his face, then went to the closet where he kept Big Happy.

Big Happy was Natsu's pride and joy…a necessity to have when pitted against 8 kids. It was a double-barrelled machine gun, built for rapid fire and able to expel two Nerf bullets at a time. It was named after Happy the cat, of course.

Why? _Because Happy was bad-ass too!_

Now armed, Natsu crept to the door, listening intently. He could hear the pitter patter of the guerilla team finding their vantage points. He was surrounded, he knew. He'd have to come out firing.

Taking a deep breath, Natsu pulled open the door, rolling straight across the hall into Brielle's room.

"You won't take me alive!" he yelled.

"Then prepare to die!" Hansuke shouted back.

Natsu deeked down the hallway, positioning himself behind the kitchen's island, "I just want the girl. Release the girl and I'll turn myself in!"

"It's too late for that, Salamander!" Mieske declared, "Your crimes are too much! Just give yourself up and no one has to get hurt."

Natsu pretended to have a panic attack, making loud gasping noises, "There's no choice then…. here I come!"

He rolled from the island to his feet, roaring his war cry. Instantly, the children let loose, releasing a barrage of Nerf bullets. Natsu convulsed with every hit, firing Big Happy at anyone he could see. He hit Connor in the forehead. Connor let out a scream, then 'died'. He hit Mieske in the leg next. Mieske fell to the floor, his arm extended to Haru as he hoarsely called out, "Heeeelllp me!"

Aki rolled across the floor, grabbing Mieske's arm to pull him to the safety of the living room. At that moment, Lark and Hansuke both charged, releasing their bullets relentlessly.

Salamander stumbled, but he did not fall. He dragged his foot and one arm hung limply, hitting Mieske in the torso. He shot Aki in the back, destroying her attempts at rescuing poor Mieske. Lark dove back behind the couch.

Brielle appeared in front of him, her Nerf gun hanging on her side, "Excuse me, Mr. Salamander Sir…please turn yourself in."

Natsu reached out to pat his little button on the head. She grinned wickedly, flinging up her gun and releasing her ammunition on him. Aimi appeared from the other side, bombarding him with her bullets.

"No fair!" Brielle pouted, "Aimi, your bullet hit _me_! Does that mean I have to die?"

"Naw," Aimi told her, "We're on the same team, so it doesn't count."

Brielle grinned widely, resuming her assault. But Salamander was on the move again. He caught Aimi by the arm, kissing it with a wide grin.

"Nooooo! NOT THE KISS OF DEATH!" Aimi cried out dramatically before she 'died'.

He B-lined, kissing Brielle on the forehead.

"I'll never…forget…you, Mommy!" Brielle sighed, then fell to the floor.

"I'm coming!" Natsu told Lucy, beginning his 'painful' move forward again.

"I'm waiting for you, my love!" she called out.

That's when Lark stepped in between them, Hansuke at his side. They were the only two left 'alive'.

"It's over, Salamander," Hansuke told him, "By my calculations, Big Happy doesn't have any bullets left."

Natsu glanced down, confirming Hansuke was correct. Big Happy was empty.

"If I promise to be good from now on, can I get the girl back and never be seen again?" Natsu asked hopefully.

Lark glanced at Hansuke, the two of them leaning together to confer.

"Okay," Lark announced, "We'll accept your terms…but only under one condition."

"Name it," Natsu snarled.

"None of us have to do garbages for a week," Lark told him, his eyes narrowed.

Natsu held back a chuckle. It was all the kids' least favourite chore.

"Done," Natsu agreed, "Under the condition that you're all cleaning up all the Nerf bullets."

"Done!" Lark decided after checking with Hansuke, "Under the condition that none of us have to do dishes for the rest of the week."

"You're pushing it," Natsu warned him.

Lark shrugged, "Yeah, okay. I'll settle for garbages."

Natsu shook his head as the kids disbursed to pick up the Nerf bullets, chattering amongst themselves about how fun their game had been. He glanced at Lucy, still tied to the chair. The kids had forgotten about her.

"You came for me," she said dramatically.

"Silly Luce," he whispered, kissing her long and hard, "I will always come for you. Especially against the dreaded Dragneel children."

She laughed, "Yeah, they have pretty wild imaginations, don't they?"

He shook his head as he went to free her wrists…until he saw that they'd bound her with play handcuffs. He dangled them in front of her face.

"I have a pretty wild imagination too," he whispered, "And I have a real pair in our bedroom that we can use later on."

She glanced up at him. Now free, she wanted to make sure supper hadn't burned, "Can I be the bad cop?"

Natsu's mouth dropped open as she headed for the kitchen.

His whole damn family was wild…and he wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

 _ **A/N This week is so much fun! Putting out 3 one-shots per day has been a challenge, but I'm thankful for it! I can't pretend to be on the level of Quite-A-Riot and it's a total honour that she chose me for this challenge! Remember to go check out her one-shots and if you're not currently reading Passive Aggressive Post-its, please check it out - it's AMAZING!**_

 _ **Also a shout out to my amazing friend WordsAreMySpells1331, who is also participating in this challenge...because it's fun! She has been keeping up with the challenge too and has turned out some incredible work!**_

 ** _Til Tomorrow, friends! Lots more to come!_**

 ** _~Shana~_**


	6. Infatuation

_**NALU WEEK RANDOM ONE-SHOT – INFATUATION**_

 _ **A side-story from Angel of Oops 1 – Natsu checks in on Lucy at night**_

* * *

Normally, Natsu waited until the early hours of the morning to peek in on the girls next door to ensure that they were asleep. Gray preferred to sleep the entire night through, usually after returning late from the pub, so the task of checking on the girls fell to Natsu. Natsu didn't mind. It made him happy to think that somehow his presence would keep the girls safe. Until they discovered what threat was making them run from city to city, it just made Natsu feel better knowing that they were peacefully adrift in dreamland.

He liked watching Lucy sleep in particular. She was always so peaceful…so innocent…so _beautiful._ During the day, she was sweet and thoughtful. He could sense her underlying turmoil and he was desperate to know more about it. But at night – none of that anxiety showed. She was the picture of serenity. Sometimes Natsu wondered how it was possible that _he_ was the Angel…when she was so completely breathtaking.

Lucy was lying on her side, both hands resting underneath of her head on her pillow. Her hair laid in every direction over her pillow. She wore a blue tank top with matching shorts for pajamas (Gray had explained pajamas to him because Natsu didn't understand why humans wore clean clothes to bed if they were just going to shower in the morning…it made no sense to him).

One long leg extended overtop of a body pillow (body pillows are for enhancing comfort – Gray had explained that to him too). Her sheets were gathered at the bottom of the bed. Natsu guessed that was because it was summer. Humans didn't like being too hot. In any event, he really loved her legs. It was yet another thing he couldn't comprehend…legs are _legs_. Why would Lucy's legs be any more special than anyone else's? He had no clue (and there was _no way_ he was asking Gray about it) …but they were. He loved looking at them.

Her eyes were closed as she let out a contented sigh, drawing his gaze to her face. Her plump lips were slightly ajar as she breathed softly into her pillow. Her eyes were closed, one of them still black from where Lyon had punched her. She had otherwise flawless cheekbones. Her ears were pierced twice in each ear with studs.

She stirred, making Natsu jump. She murmured something in her sleep, her face contorting into anguish. Her body jerked as she cried out slightly, biting down on some of her fingernails.

Something was nagging at him. He could feel pain in his chest. He frowned, wondering about the odd emotions he was experiencing as Lucy began to writhe in her sleep. He didn't like that she was uncomfortable…or perhaps in pain? No…this was a nightmare. She was having a bad dream.

Natsu thought back to the lessons that Gray had been giving him regarding the _abilities_ Angels had to help humans cope with negative emotions. He hadn't tried those _abilities_ yet, but he needed to take the chance that he wouldn't muck it up. Lucy was unhappy!

He thought back to Gray's instructions, closing his eyes and wishing peace throughout the room. A wave coursed through to the walls. He watched Lucy still for a moment before she relaxed slightly. She was still restless, but the comfort had helped her a little bit.

He moved closer, wondering if it would be bad if he touched her hair. It was so silky, glistening in the moonlight like gold.

She stirred again, cringing uncomfortably.

Now sure that she needed the extra comfort, he extended a shaky hand.

" _Whisper_ ," he said softly, "You're safe, Luce. Nothing will harm you. I'll be right here with you and I'll protect you."

He sighed with relief as her face relaxed again. His fingers combed her hair gently. What was it about her that made him want to take all her pain from her?

"Natsu," she whispered.

His eyes widened in alarm…until he concluded that she was simply talking in her sleep.

"I'm here," he told her, "I won't leave you."

She settled again, no longer clenching her body pillow.

He thought about laying down beside her, then shook his head vigorously. That would be crossing a line. He wished he could explain the pulling he felt…like he wanted to shoulder all her burdens for her. He didn't feel any of that with Levy. Levy was emotionally strong. He liked how she challenged Gray. Feisty. Yes…that was a good word for Levy. But Lucy…was she fragile?

He glanced at her face again, still stroking her hair gently.

No. Lucy was not fragile. She was strong too. She just didn't know it yet. Natsu would show her that. He would help her find her inner strength and she would rise above whatever was bothering her.

Gray had called his longing for Lucy _infatuation_. Natsu didn't know if that's what he felt for Lucy...but she sparked within him a longing for her to accept him he hadn't felt with any other being. He wanted to please her. He wanted to bring her out of her shell. It was his own personal mission to help her see that she had a fun side too...a side where her guard could be let down...a side that could relax. And in his eyes, she relaxed the most in his presence. Maybe it was because he was an Angel...but Natsu wanted to think it was because it was something only he could provide her...like Mira had suggested when they'd first been sent to Magnolia. That's why this was one mission he was determined that he would not _oops_.

"I won't leave you," he repeated to her, making a solemn vow to himself as he smoothed her bangs once last night, pouring another dose of comforting love through her, "I will protect you...no matter what."

* * *

 ** _The 7th Prompt - Buck-A-Suck - is listed as a separate story since it's 8,500 words long...but it's worth the read - PROMISE! Please make sure to take a looks!_**

 ** _Again, many thanks to Quite-A-Riot for the amazing challenge - it's been a great experience!_**

 ** _~Shana~_**


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